Uncoupling device for car couplers



Feb. 16 1926.

as. GILPIN UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Filed April 4 1921 2SheetSSh99t l Feb 16 1926.

- 43. ca, GILPIN UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Filed April 4. 19212 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 16 1926.

UNITED STATES j 1,573,054 PATENT OFFICE.

GARTH G. GILPIN, OF RIVERSIDE; ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO UNION ITCETAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONOF DELAWARE.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS.

Application filed April Q1921. Serial iv-o. 458,501.

T all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I GARTH G. GILIINV, a citizen of the United States,residing at River-side, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Uncoupling Devices for CarCouplers, of-which thev following is a specification. a V v Thisinvention relates to improvements in uncoupling devices for car couplersand more particularly to devices of this character employed on freightcars, and usually known as release rigging.

It isthe object of. this invention to.pro-" vide a simple and eflicientuncoupling de-. vice comprising but few parts and which can be readilyattached to the different types of freight cars. i I

This particular invention relates to what is generally known in this artas the push down type of uncoupling device and comprises two levershaving their adjacent ends pivotally mounted on the, same fulcrum. Theparticular advantage of this construction resides in the manner in whichthe levers are pivoted uponthe fulcrum. In levers of this general typemounted on a common fulcrum the connection between the levers must allowfor the longitudinal movement of the coupler head in draft and inbufiingand the rotative movement of the pin lifting lever about the fulcrummust be limited for the purpose of safety to the operator.

The manner of mounting the levers on the fulcrum, in accordance withthis invention, provides at the fulcrum means allowing play of the freeend of the pin lifting lever in a horizontal plane without transmittingsuch movement to the hand lever, the connection between the leverssurrounds the fulcrum and tilting of either lever from the verticalplane is prevented by positioning the levers between the shoulder on thefulcrum n1emher and lugs on the bearing and connecting block, or othersimilar projections on the fulcrum parts. This elimination of thetilting of the levers considerably reduces the friction between thelevers and their fulcrum and safety stops preventing excessive rotatingmovement of either lever are also arranged at the fulcrum. V a

Fig. l-is a view in end elevation of a portion of a freightcarillustrating the application of this invention.

tionl). of the fulcrum casting. necting and bearing block 14 is providedon Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetailtop plan view of the fulcrum and adjacent ends of the overs withparts broken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in end elevar tion of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3 looking inthe direction of the arrows.

In the embodiment of this invention as illustrated the numerallindicates the end of a freight car ofthe non-end sill type, 2

the striking casting, 3 the couplerhead, t v the coupler locking pineye, 5 the side sill and 6 the brake, mast, all of which are of usualconstruction. l

The uncoupling device comprises an operating lever 7 and a pin'liftinglever 8 having their adjacent ends mounted on a co1nmon fulcrumincluding a casting 9 mounted on a plate 10 depending from thejundersideof the car end. The pin lifting lever is provided with an offset to passthe brake mast with its free 'end portioi'i-parallel'to the car end, andis of reduced size, to pass through and beyond the eye of the lookingpin with the extremity bent inthe form of a hook. Both ends of bothlevers are preferably offset, as shown so that their ex v tremiti-eswilllie in parallel horizontal planes which will allow the couplerhead tomoveback and forth transversely with out transmitting its moven'ient tothe pin lifting lever, provide a more convenient manner for attachingand mounting the ad ,jacent ends of the levers on the fulcrum and afforda ready hand grip or foot engagementon the. free end of the operatinglever. i

'The fulcrum casting 9 comprises a base plate having a hollow bossllextending at right angles therefrom and is provided with a reducedcylindrical portion 12 at its outer end. Rectangular openings 13 areswedged in the adjacent ends of the operating and pin liftingleversthrough which is passed a rectangular connecting and bearing block14 having a central aperture adapted to pass over and rotate upon thereduced por- This contheoutsidealong'its upper and lower edges withright angular lugs or projections 15 and the block is secured inposition bya bolt 16 ssing typing the, rear throu glf the supportingplate 10 an'dlparts ll'and 12of the fulcrum casting having a Washer1.7'a'ndnut l 0:1..thecout riencdhot they iul ru adap ecl Y to he en gedby the outer side ofthe hearing block.

A separate connectmg member and bean ing bloclrlias the advantage-Jotincreasing the bearing area on the ournal fulcrum thereby reducing thefriction and making pin lifting lever, It is preferable to. a r

range the liand operating lever on the inner side ad aQent to theshoulder formed bytlie boss 11, To allow or compensat for longilift'igleverytli e end of this rever out the fulcrum islient L angle, asclearly shewn e l e'beiid l i'inth ver calg and pas es tl' roug'hjthe"ce the human; The legs oeprmgtiqfi 151 11 the'co nnect ng bear ngblockmay ape'r'ed bi i e-enter; t ife j cin i were each end; however thethickestportionavill be oppois te the bend in the pin Jllftllig lever sothat movement back and forth in the direof tion; of thelongitudinalcenter' of the car 'Willcause this end o f"1tl1e levertojpivot on the bearing block projections without translevers it isjpreferabletoprovide clutch contact between the enlarged hossil and theadjacent end ofthe' bearing and connecting block let, thereby allowing;sufiicientmovemerit for the operation of the uncoupling device andprevent further moveme'nt of either lever in either direction. A limitto the upward ,movement of the pin lifting lever is desirable to,protect the operator in the eventof failure of parts Within the couplerhead, and" a limitto the downward movement of said pin lifting leverdesirable'to support the coupler in case of acarry iron failure; andlimit to the downward inovementfot the operating "lever is desirabletoproteot the operator case of a broken connect on between the pin lfting lever and the coupler or the" pin liitingflever itself. Thepreterahle construction as llustrated comprises s milar extens c v O 0b' pQ'it 'sides' of the bearing 'blockfand' connecting a i. a and 1 tinblockis ofjrefctangular shape isreeelved 1 1 1.9 1 i. levers about saidfulcrum? member entering'in t ckets}; in the boss 11, whereby theshoulc'h'ars"22in "the boss will limit the amount of rotation of thebearing bloclgand connectingmember about the ful- M iv 1 a i r r i'..,NN i I? l all. i, i 4 While this invention is illustrated as applied toa certain type of heighten; it is Jrea'dily'adapted with but slightimmaterial changes for application to other types.

1. A release rigging for railroad car coilf plers comprising aep ra tingleverpa' cou p l er lock pin l ng lever, a: fiilcriim' for said-leversupon the car, a jcoiiibin'e'd con; ne tin H v and bearing block'wl'iic'h' ipasses through apertures in said levers; and means limitingthe eta -e' 1n6ven%e11t of said block. i rig-gang for railroadcarco'uplerscomprising an operating lever, a; con plenloli pin liftingfleverfafiilcrum' for levers np' n' the car, aeraeind cennect:

mg 13 ng; hlo'cl r \vhicli' "isses nae-ugh apertures 1n 'sald leversf'me1s thereon al lowing piv tal movement oft-he inlifting lc l'e'r t1 'horiontally "independent; of nie ppei-atmg leil", 2i1i(l l meanslimiting-"r0 t-ative iiiiy erit of said blocll' 3. 'A' iele'a e nggmgrerrailroacl ca'r co tr plers con' pr "ng an operating-lever, coir P16 .1.1

idfleve'rsupoii the car, a coniliinedconnect a ti-bearing b eak ois'aid' levers upon said tulciu i p mg th o'ug li apertures9p1'o vid e'dtiter-51 01, in the'i'id 'e'iit'endso'f said sa block hav"'1'1ponth'e"up pe a (ll v'ei' ed ges 'tliereof adapted to hold actingwith said li'ent' portion ofthe 'p'in litt in'g'leyer to time limitedpivotal moven'ie'n't on said block about said iugeaada clutch contactbetween said block and fulcr'u-m'l imiting tlie mm-he movement about"the" ful crunn i I l. An uncoupling dent-elm; car couplers co ii'iprisin g j ian operating let er, a coupler lock lifting 1cm, afulcrumforsard levers po the car, ooiiiliined connecting and bearingblock for said levers 'm'ount'ed upon said tulc'rtunjth e fulcrum endsor saidfle'v'ers being positionedBetween projections on the saidfulcrunr and said bearing block- "respectively so "as to prevent saidleverstipping from their vertical cross sectional I axis thoughpermitting relative movement of said levers in a substantial horizontalplan nufegtefigion 01; the fulcrum and "member respectively j sopositioned bear I I A H Ht the rotative- 'move1neht of said iting leverY afulcruin for ets thereon"; said aperture'd end-of cent its fulcrumend, a member passing through said apertures having a non-rotativeconnection therewith, a fulcrum passing through said member having arotative connection therewith, said levers mounted upon said member soas to retain the ends of sa d levers in a substantially vertical plane,said fulcrum having projections which engage projections on said memberto limit the rotative movement of said member about said fulcrum.

6. In a release rigging for car couplers comprising an cprat-ing leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a coupler pin lifting leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a member passing throughsaid apertures having a nonrotative connection therewith, a fulcrumpassing through said member having a rotative connection therewith, saidlevers mounted upon said member so as to permit rela tive horizontalmovement between said levers, said levers mounted upon said member so asto retain the ends of said levers in a substantially vertical plane.

7. An uncoupling device for car couplers comprising a fulcrum, anoperating lever having a rectangular aperture adjacent its fulcrum end,a coupler pin lifting lever having a rectangular aperture adjacent itsfulcrum end, and a rectangular connecting and bearing block passingthrough the apertures of said levers, said bearing block having rotativeconnection with said fulcrum, said bearing block arranged to retain theends of said levers in a substantially vertical plane.

8. I11 a release rigging for car couplers comprising an operating leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a coupler pin lifting leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a member passing throughsaid apertures having non-rotative connection therewith, and a fulcrumpassing through said member having a rotative connection therewith, saidlevers mounted upon said inemliier so as to retain the ends of saidlevers in a substantially vertical plane.

9. An uncoupling device for car couplers coi'nprising an operatinglever, a coupler pin lifting lever, a fulcrum for said levers, and acombined connecting member and bearing block having verticallypositioned projections on its outer edge, said block passing throughapertures 1n the ad acent ends of said levers, the fulcrum ends of saidlevers being positioned between the pro jections on the bearing blockand the fulcrum so as to prevent said levers tipping from their verticalcross sectional axis.

10. In a release rigging for car couplers comprising an operating leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a coupler pm lifting leverhavlng an aperture ad acent its fulcrum end, a member passing throughsaid apertures having a- 11011-10ttttive connection therewith, and afulcrum passing through said member having a rotative connectiontherewith, said fulcrum having projections which engage projections onsaid member to limit the rotative movement of said member about saidfulcrum.

11. In a release rigging for car couplers comprising an operating leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a coupler pin lifting leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a member passing throughsaid apertures having a no11-rotative connection therewith, and afulcrum passing through said member having a rotativeconnectiontherewith, the fulcrum ends of said levers being positionedbetween prejections on said member and projections on said fulcrum so asto retain said levers in substantially a vertical plane thoughpermitting, relative movement between said levers in a horizontal plane.

12. In a release rigging for car couplers coi'nprising anoperating'lever having an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a couplerpin lifting lever having aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a memberpassing through said aperture having a non-rotative cdnnectron.therewith, a fulcrum passing through said member having a rotativeconnection therewith, said levers mounted upon said member so as topermit relative horizontalmovement between said levers, said I fulcrumhaving projections which engage projections on said member to limittherotative movement of said member about said fulcrum.

13. In a release rigging for car couplers comprising an operating leverhaving an aperture adjacent its'fulcrum end, a coupler pin lifting leverhaving an aperture adjacent its fulcrum end, a member passing throughsaid apertures having a non-rota tive connection therewith, a fulcrumpassing through said member having a rotative connection therewith, saidlevers mounted upon said member so as to permit relative horizontalmovement between said levers and so asto retainthe ends of said leversin a substantially vertical plane, said fulcrum having projections whichengage projections on said member to lnnit'the rotative Vmovement ofsaid member about said ful- GARTH e. GILPIN.

